Quick change guard for tool and cutter grinder

ABSTRACT

A quick-change guard for a machine tool supporting a rotating tool the guard having a backplate located perpendicular to the axis of and to the rear of the rotating tool and a ring releasably secured to the backplate, the ring encircling the tool and containing a shield extending therefrom to enclose a substantial portion of the rotating tool.

United States Patent [191 Eby I [451 May 21, 1974 [52] US. Cl. 51/269 [51] Int. Cl B24b 55/04 [58] Field of Search 5l/268, 269, 272, 271

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,894,418 7/1959 Jackson 5I/268 X Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson 5 7] ABSTRACT A quick-change guard for a machine tool supporting a rotating tool the guard having a backplate located perpendicular t0 the axis of and to the rear of the rotating tool and a ring releasably secured to the backplate, the ring encircling the tool and containing a shield extending therefrom to enclose a substantial portion of the rotating tool.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures QUICK CHANGE GUARD FOR TOOL AND CUTTER GRINDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cutting tool guards and more particularly to a wheel guard for tool and cutter grinders.

In tool and cutter grinding operations, the grinding wheel is changed periodically to make possible the performance of a variety of grinding operations. Various guard structures have been designed which are suited for the many wheels and operations employed on a tool and cutter grinder. In the past, changing these guards required not only removal of the old guard but realignment of the new guard before securing it to the wheelhead. Thus, whenever a wheel was to be changed, or a new operation was to be performed requiring a new guard, the old guard had to be removed and the new guard relocated and replaced on the wheelhead of tool and cutter grinder. This operation has proven to be a.

time consuming factor in the production process.

Applicant herein discloses a new type of cutter guard which can be quickly changed and requires no relocation of the guard in relationship to the wheel. Thus, the present invention provides a quickly changeable and easily replaceable wheel guard for tool and cutter grinder operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a backplate which is permanently secured to the wheelhead and designed so that the wheel may be mounted in front of the plate. The backplate contains a series of locators suited to receive a ring. The ring is placed on the locators, properly aligning the ring with respect to the grinding wheel. Permanently secured to the ring is a shield suited for a particular wheel and grinding purpose. The ring and shield are secured to the backplate by any suitable means. When it becomes necessary to change either the wheel or the grinding operation the securing means is simply released and the guard removed. A new guard may be placed on the locators and secured to shield the operator from possible fragments of a fractured wheel when a grinding operation is undertaken.

In summary, the invention provides a quick-change wheel guard for use with a tool and cutter grinder or similar machine tool requiring a number of guard structures for various machining operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a tool and cutter FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG. I there is shown a tool cutter grinder l0 having a wheelhead 12 containing a rotatable spindle 33 for securing and driving a grinding wheel 14. The wheelhead is secured to base structure 16 and is generally indexible in two planes. Also secured to the base structure 16 is a table 18 for securing and locating a workholder 20, which is designed to rotatably secure the tool or other workpiece 22 to be ground. The workholder 20 is generally indexible in two planes and means 24 are provided to move the work with respect to the grinding wheel 14. The guard structure 26 is secured and located on the wheelhead so that it substantially surrounds the entire grinding wheel 14. The backplate 30 of the guard structure 26 is placed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 33, and has a central aperture 32 through which the spindle may pass, see FIGS. 2 and 6. The wheel 14 is sandwiched between wheel flanges 34 and 35 and secured to the spindle 33. The backplate 30 of the guard structure is secured in any suitable manner to the wheelhead 12, for example, the securing means 36 shown in FIG. 1. The backplate may be permanently secured to the wheelhead l2 and provides permanent alignment of the shield 40 and ring 42 with respect to the grinding wheel 14. Means such as locating studs 38 are provided for releasably securing the ring 42 to the backplate in a position encircling the tool. The studs 38 are placed around the backplate 30 for centering a shield 40 about the wheel 14. The shield 40 is permanently secured by a means such as welding to ring 42. The ring contains means for angular positioning the shieldsuch as the series of notches 44 designed to fit over the periphery of the studs 38. As shown in FIG. 3, each stud 38 has a flange 48 designed to lock in the ring when the ring is rotated so that the notches 44 are not aligned with the studs 38. Thus, when the ring 42 is placed so that the notches 44 are aligned with the studs 38 the ring can be placed against the backplate 30. By turning the ring a few degrees, the periphery of the ring is, confined by the flange 48 of each stud 38. Thus, the studs 38 provide a securing means for mounting the shield 42 on backplate 30 as well as providing means for angularly positioning the guard 40 with respect to the wheel 14.

To secure the angular position of the shield and ring combination a locking means such as detent mechanism 46 is added to the backplate and ring structure. In the preferred embodiment a spring loaded pin 50 is designed so that it is received by one of the notches 44 after the ring 42 and guard 40 have been located and secured to the backplate 30. This prevents further rotation of the ring 42 during grinding operations. The spring loaded pin 50 is more clearly shown in FIG. 4. It is riveted to the backplate 30 by rivets 52 which secures a leaf spring 54 to the backplate The pin 50 is permanently affixed to the leaf spring 54 such that when the extension 56-of the spring 54 is depressed the pin 50 is withdrawn from one of the notches 44 on the ring 42 so that the ring may be rotated and removed from backplate. In this manner, by simply depressing extension 56 and rotating the ring 42 until the notches 44' are adjacent the studs 38, the shield 40 and ring 42 may be removed from the backplate 30. A new shield 40 may then be inserted in the same manner.

Shown in FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the shield 40 which is secured to the ring 42. As can be seen here, there is a partial cover 58 which actually envelops a portion of the grinding wheel 14. This shield is secured to a ring 42 and is easily placed on and removed from the backplate 30 in the previously mentioned manner. As can be particularly seen in F K]. 6, the opening 32 permits passing of the spindle 33 through the backplate 30 for easy access to the grinding wheel 14. The number of notches 44 permit angular positioning of thering 42 and shield 40 at a number of various angles. The nine notches illustrated permit positioning every 40 about the circumference. It can be seen that more notches would permit even greater flexibility. By utilizing a different type of locking means, infinite variance may be created. This permits maximum flexibility of enclosing the wheel.

In some grinding operations the external notched ring 42 creates clearance problems for the tool 22 and toolholder 20. As is shown in F IG. 7, this is easily solved by'making the ring 42 internal with notches 44 on the inside diameter of the ring 42 and the studs 38 secured within the confines of the guard 40 on the backplate 30. By utilizing the internal ring 42 and internal studs 38 .as shown in FIG. 7 the clearance problems created by the guard structure 26 are no greater than the clearance problems created by the actual shield 40, which is similar to prior art shields in size and shape. However, this configuration maintains the same easy accessibility for removing the guard and ring when a wheel change is required between operations.

While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it should be understood that the foregoing is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A quick-change guard for a machine tool supporting a rotating tool, the guard comprising:

a. a backplate located perpendicular to the axis of and to the rear of the rotating tool, and fixedly secured to the machine tool;

b. a ring having a plurality of semicircular notches spaced about its periphery;

c. a plurality of studs secured to said backplate suitable for locating said ring in position with respect to said rotating tool upon insertion of said studs into said semicircular notches;

d. a flange on each of said studs for securing said ring against said backplate upon angular displacement of said ring with respect to said backplate;

e. means associated with the semicircular notches of said ring for locking said ring in any one ofa plurality of determined angular positions, the number and positions of said angular positions being defined by the number of and positions of said semicircular notches about the periphery of said ring; and

f. a shield extending from said ring and enclosing a substantial portion of the tool- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking means further comprises a detent mechanism secured to said backplate and extending therethrough for locking said ring in any one-of said .determined angular positions. I

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said detent mechanism further comprises:

a. aleaf spring secured on one end to said backplate and flexible on the Otherend; and

b. a pin attached to the other end of said leaf spring and extending through said backplate and into one of said semicircular notches locking said ring in one of said determined angular positions, whereby flexing said leaf spring withdraws said pin from said semicircular notch permitting said ring to be rotated and locked in another of said plurality of determined angular positions.

4. A quick-change guard for a tool and cutter grinder having a rotating grinding wheel, said guard comprisa. a backplate located perpendicular to the axis of and to the rear of said rotating wheel, and fixedly secured to the tool and cutter grinder;

b. a ring having a plurality of semicircular notches spaced about its periphery;

c. a plurality of studs secured to the backplate suitable for locating said ring in position with respect to said rotating tool upon insertion of said studs into said semicircular notches;

. a flange on each of said studs for securing said ring against said backplate upon angular displacement of said ring with respect to said backplate;

e. a leaf spring secured on one end to said backplate and flexible on the other end;

f. a pin attached to the other end of said leaf spring and extending through said backplate and into one of said semicircular notches locking said ring in one of a plurality of determined angular positions;

substantial portion of the tool. 

1. A quick-change guard for a machine tool supporting a rotating tool, the guard comprising: a. a backplate located perpendicular to the axis of and to the rear of the rotating tool, and fixedly secured to the machine tool; b. a ring having a plurality of semicircular notches spaced about its periphery; c. a plurality of studs secured to said backplate suitable for locating said ring in position with respect to said rotating tool upon insertion of said studs into said semicircular notches; d. a flange on each of said studs for securing said ring against said backplate upon angular displacement of said ring with respect to said backplate; e. means associated with the semicircular notches of said ring for locking said ring in any one of a plurality of determined angular positions, the number and positions of said angular positions being defined by the number of and positions of said semicircular notches about the periphery of said ring; and f. a shield extending from said ring and enclosing a substantial portion of the tool.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking means further comprises a detent mechanism secured to said backplate and extending therethrough for locking said ring in any one of said determined angular positions.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said detent mechanism further comprises: a. a leaf spring secured on one end to said backplate and flexible on the other end; and b. a pin attached to the other end of said leaf spring and extending through said backplate and into one of said semicircular notches locking said ring in one of said determined angular positions, whereby flexing said leaf spring withdraws said pin from said semicircular notch permitting said ring to be rotated and locked in another of said plurality of determined angular positions.
 4. A quick-change guard for a tool and cutter grinder having a rotating grinding wheel, said guard comprising: a. a backplate located perpendicular to the axis of and to the rear of said rotating wheel, and fixedly secured to the tool and cutter grinder; b. a ring having a plurality of semicircular notches spaced about its periphery; c. a plurality of studs secured to the backplate suitable for locating said ring in position with respect to said rotating tool upon insertion of said studs into said semicircular notches; d. a flange on each of said studs for securing said ring against said backplate upon angular displacement of said ring with respect to said backplate; e. a leaf spring secured on one end to said backplate and flexible on the other end; f. a pin attached to the other end of said leaf spring and extending through said backplate and into one of said semicircular notches locking said ring in one of a plurality of determined angular positions, whereby flexing said leaf spring withdraws said pin from said semicircular notch permitting said ring to be rotated and locked in another of said plurality of determined angular positions, the number and positions of said angular positions being deFined by the number of and positions of said semicircular notches about the periphery of said ring; and g. a shield extending from said ring and enclosing a substantial portion of the tool. 